I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus!
by Prettycrazy
Summary: Merry Christmas every one! I actually wanted to post this on the JA Forum but I can get on! thank you SOOOO much RevSue for doing the beta.


I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus.

Clarisse Renaldi, Queen of Genovia, was standing her closet looking through all the different dresses she had been wearing over the past many years. A knock on the door interrupted her.

"Entré!" Sshe said softly.

"HO HO HO, merry Christmas!" the sight in red said, round and cheerfull.

"Oh, Santa Claus! Is that you, Joseph?" Sshe said as she looked closer.

"Yes it's me, I was just seeing if this outfit fitted me, and it does!" He smiled and pulled down the beard.

"Oh I remember this outfit!" Clarisse cleared her throat and her expression turned to a dreamy one.

_1958_

_Clarisse Renaldi, Crown Princess of Genovia, was standing in her closet looking at the dress she was going to wear for Christmas. It was difficult to get anything to fit, being six months pregnant didn't make anything look pretty on her, even thought she was only eighteen._

_The red velvet, off the shoulder, floor length dress, hugged her growing form beautifully. It wasn't easy being in a royal family, it wasn't just the close family that was gathered, no it was a gathering for roughly hundred people, which also included children of all ages._

_Clarisse and Rupert wasere sitting at the table chatting with Lord and Lady Churries, when out of no where Santa came into the large ball room. Asking for all the nice children to come over to get their present, when the elderly man approached Clarisse and Rupert, she started giggling. _

"_Oh dear girl, you are expecting! Is it a naughty or nice child thius far?" The elderly man asked._

"_Oh uhm…….Santa…..it is a nice child thius far!" Clarisse smiled as she recognized the voice of the man, who handed her a small present, neatly wrapped with a beautiful white satin bow. Unwrapped, it revealed a rattle._

"_Your father makes a great Santa Claus!" Clarisse whispered to Rupert as the old man, followed by many children, walked away._

"_My father?" Rupert questioned._

"_Yes, your fa….didn't you know that it was him?" she asked, shocked, and pointed in the elderly man's direction._

_Rupert looked around them and leaned in, placing a hand on her belly "Don't say it so loud or you will have ruined the next many Christmases." Hhe joked and kissed Clarisse's nose as she smiled at him._

"And that was my first Christmas here at the royal palace, It was so great, and seeing you in that outfit brought it back right away. Everything is like it was then, except I'm not eighteen or pregnant." Sshe joked.

"So you always like the Santa Claus figure?" Joseph asked.

"Oh yes, dear God yes. Santa Claus brought the children so much joy, and the rest of us!" Clarisse's face took on a dreamy expression.

"What are you thinking about?" Joseph wanted to know while he removed the beard and the hat.

_1962_

_Clarisse Renaldi Crown Princess of Genovia was standing in her closet looking at the dress she was going to wear for Christmas. It was beautiful and just perfect for this Christmas. Pierre was now three, and the announcement of another heir had been made at the beginning of December. While she was looking over the warm lilac dress she would be wearing, the pitter-patter of small feet was heard and then a yell._

"_MOMMY?" Pierre's tiny voice was heard all over the royal suite._

"_Yes darling, I'm right here. Aw…don't you look pretty?" she said as she kneeled down to his level._

"_I'm NOT pretty, Papa say I'm hamsoms!" Pierre stated._

"_Of course you are, darling, I'm sorry. yYou look very handsome." Clarisse smiled at her son and placed a loving kiss on his cheek._

"_So you have to be of that size to get to you?" Rupert's round deep voice said from the door opening._

"_Rupert dear, I'm sure quite a few people would disagree with you if you said that you didn't get any love from me!" she said and placed a hand over her abdomen and smiled at him._

"_I know, and I would never say a thing like that to anyone. I was just hoping for a kiss too!" he said with a puppy-dog like pouting. Clarisse quickly covered the space between them and his lips as well._

_Dressed and done, they attended the Christmas ball., aAgain the palace was filled with people, big and small. Clarisse was feeling a little light-headed and Rupert escorted her out on the balcony for some air. Just as they where about to make their way back from outside, Rupert's sister and her husband walked over and they started a light conversation, which was interrupted by Santa Claus's arrival._

"_Mommy, mommy, mommy! Look, Santa give me a present!" Pierre exclaimed enthusiastically._

"_Santa gave you a present!" Rupert corrected as he pulled Pierre up on his arm._

"_Let's see what Santa got for you!" Clarisse said as she helped Pierre unwrap the present._

"_A TEDDY BEAR! Mommy! Papa! Me got a teddy bear, this is the bestest Christmas ever!" He said as he practically jumped of off Rupert's arm, and ran after Santa Claus._

"_Your father bought that teddy bear himself, darling!" she said and leaned into Rupert._

"_How do you know that?" he questioned her._

"_I just know!" was her simple reply._

"Pierre was so happy that Christmas, I will never forget the way he looked while sleeping with that teddy bear in his arms and his thumb in his mouth. He was a happy boy that Christmas." She remembered.

"Prince Pierre always seemed happy.?" Joseph said.

"Yes but the next many Christmas's, he wasn't happy. He'd gotten a baby brother the following year. And as long as I had Phillip in my arms, Pierre wouldn't even look at me, but the minute I handed Phillip to Rupert, Pierre was in my arms. He was not pleased, at the beginning, with having a brother." Clarisse shared, saddened.

"But the prince's always seemed like they was inseparable!" Hhe said quietly.

"Oh they where, don't get me wrong, and they loved each other like brothers should. It's just sad to think about that because I had another child, my firstborn felt left out, the first many years of Phillip's childhood, and I didn't think about it until now, more than 30 years later." She smiled, still saddened.

"Just think about the fact that they loved each other!" Joseph reasoned.

"I know, and that costume brought them both much joy as they grew up! And I am so happy that Rupert continued this tradition after his father passed." she said and winkled her finger at him.

"Oh he did?" Joseph asked surprised.

_1965_

_Clarisse Renaldi Queen__ of Genovia was standing in her closet looking at the dress she was going to wear for Christmas. This was not as happy as all the other years, for the old King had passed away at the end of September. The royal family was still in a mourning period, so this year she would wear black, not very festive in it self but she had gotten this spiced up with some gold, not too much but enough. She looked at herself in the full length mirror, turning from side to side._

"_You look beautiful. And I love the gold you've added!" Rupert said from the doorway as he looked at her, and adjusted his bowtie._

"_Thank you darling – You look good yourself!" Sshe said, looking at him through the mirror as she tugged a loose stray of hair behind her ear._

"_I do my best! But it's hard when I have to keep up with you!" Hhe said as he winked at her and revealed that his sash was matching her dress completely._

_They were the perfect hosts for their first Christmas ball as King and Queen. Their two sons w__asere perfect as well. Everything went smoothly._

"_Clarisse, I need to go make a phone call,. cCan you handle this alone?" Rupert indicated to the two tired boys, Phillip hanging on her shoulder and Pierre standing besides her leaning up against her side as she ran her hand softly over his hair._

"_Yes, I guess! Who do you need to pass a call to today?" she questioned quietly._

"_The Spanish part of the family!" he replied as he walked away. _

_Clarisse looked around at all their guests who wasere more than enjoying themselves. Children wasere running in all directions, people laughing and talking, some where dancing, when suddenly the doors opened and in came Santa Claus._

"_Look Mommy, Santa came this year to, then it wasn't grandpapi!" Pierre yelled and almost dragged Clarisse over to Santa Claus., aA smile spread over her face as they came closer._

'_Rupert is better than his father to cover up who he is, and if he is doing this every year, he can call whom ever he want!' she thought to herself as she got little Phillip interested in Santa Claus and his present, Pierre's enthusiasm helpeding Phillip along the way._

_Santa Claus had handed out all his presents and waved to the children. Clarisse finally had free hands and walked after, the identity of Christmas. Once alone in the grand hall, she called out and the figure stopped dead in his tracks._

"_What a good cover story, darling. You've made the children very happy! Now go place that call to the Spanish family!" She tiptoed up, gave him a kiss and left._

_Not long after she had arrived back in the ball room, Rupert came back!_

"_Papa look what Santa gave me, now I can be a real cowboy!" Pierre said loudly._

"_Wow son, that' s a great present! And what did Santa give you?" Rupert picked up Phillip and looked at the beautiful coloured train._

"_You are amazing!" Clarisse said and pulled Rupert in for a kiss._

"So did he?" Joseph asked.

"Did he what?" Clarisse looked at him dumbfounded.

"Did King Rupert dress up as Santa Claus every year?" Joseph tried again.

"Oh yes, yes he did. And every year it was with a new excuse to disappear!" She laughed.

"And the boys kept on looking forward to Santa's arrival?"

"Well yes, Ooh, Pierre lost a little of the interest after Christmas 1970!"

"Oh?" Joseph looked at her with questioning look.

_1970_

_Clarisse Renaldi Queen of Genovia was standing in her closet looking at the dress she was going to wear for Christmas. It had been a messy year. A provoked scandal had made this difficult for the royal couple for some time, a failed pregnancy on top of that hadn't done anything to improve things. But it was Christmas time and they'd decided to start over again from the new year's beginning., Fforgetting all that was pulled down over their heads, and enjoying the rest of the year._

_The floor length, silver and green, slim line, strapless dress, was perfect for tonight. She bendt over the chair in front of her vanity, just to add a little mascara. Rupert came up behind her, placed his hands on her hips, while looking at her in the mirror._

"_Darling, you look fabulous. Are you ready?" Hhe asked._

"_Almost, I just need to….." she started._

"_You don't need all that, you are the most beautiful woman in the room with that makeup on or off!" He shooed her out of the bedroom. In their private living room wasere two little boys dressed in navy blue jackets, black short pants and white shirts, with polished shoes was on dangling feet._

"_Boys, stand up and, let your Mommy see how handsome you two are today! And Clarisse, notice they've already had this on for an hour and not a stain on either any of them!" Rupert said proudly as he stood besides his sons._

"_Alright boys, inspection time!" Clarisse said as they lined up and she walked over to them one at a time. First Phillip, checking nails, ears and fixing the bow, ending his inspection with a soft kiss to the forehead. Then Pierre was looked over, same routine, and same outcome and soft kiss to the forehead. She looked up at Rupert who was standing just like his son's, hands out ready for inspection., Sshe grabbed his hands and looked at them._

"_Clean as always, ears fine, but that bowtie… you never learn, do you? Pierre, Phillip, you two could teach your father to tie one of these!" Sshe said and both boys laughed. "But otherwise, perfect!" Sshe said as she was about to kiss his forehead,. Instead, Rupert quickly reached her lips with his. _

_They hurried down to their party, and went through all the traditions that the royal Christmas ball always had. Clarisse and Rupert had opened the ball with the first dance of the evening, but wasere sitting peacefully chatting when Rupert suddenly rose._

"_I'll be back in a minute, darling, need to drop a holyiday wish for the French President!" Rupert said and pressed a kiss on her cheek._

"_Ok, darling, wish him a __Joyeux Noël from me!" Sshe softly said and she watched him walk out of the ball room._

_Not long after Rupert had left the ball room, Santa entered,. Clarisse smiled and was happy to yet again see the magic Santa brought with him,. Tthe light that showed in her children's eyes, as he handed them presents and patted them on top of their heads. The boys came running over to her._

"_Mommy, where is Papa?, I want to show him this awesome pirateship!" Pierre practically yelled._

"_Papa will be here soon. Ok! I will go find him for you!" she said and stood up, walking same way following Santa was as he waved goodbye to all the children. He didn't get far from the door until when she stopped him, by a taking hold onf his arm. S, and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him softly at first, then she deepened the kiss and felt his hand lightly on her hips. She could suddenly feel eyes watching them._

"_Mommy, why are you kissing Santa Claus?" Pierre questioned almost angrily._

"_Oh uhm…..Mommy was just, uhm…..saying thank you to Santa for the presents!" Clarisse tried._

"_But you are only supposed to kiss Papa!" Pierre sounded hurt._

"_Uhm…..I know, Pierre darling, but mistletoe makes for an exception!" Sshe reasoned even though she knew how stupid she sounded. Then she turned back to Santa Claus but he was gone. She walked back into the ball room, following her boys who she'd gotten settled down, but when Rupert finally came back to them, Phillip's voice was heard over everything and everyone._

"_Daddy, I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus!" the young voice shrieked. All eyes in the room turned to look at Clarisse, who awkwardly pointed between herself and Rupert, and after a few minutes, which seemed like years to Clarisse, noise started to return and she let out a huge sigh. _

"_You kissed Santa?" Rupert whispered._

"_Rupert?" sShe said and put her hands on her hips "You very well know that I kissed 'Santa'!" She shook her head and walked over to Lady Duncher._

"So Rupert didn't say anything to you kissing Santa?" Joseph asked.

"Well, how could he! He knew I was kissing 'Santa'. I did so every year right after he left the ball room," Sshe said simply.

"Uhm, King Rupert knew you gave Santa a kiss every year?" Joseph didn't believe what he was hearing.

Clarisse nodded. "Of course, Joseph!" hHer expression changed again.

_1987_

_Clarisse Renaldi Queen__ of Genovia was standing in her closet looking at the dress she was going to wear for Christmas. The teal green coloured fabric was flowing around her, feather light material. She softly walked through the room, and let her long sleeve run over Rupert's head, when she passed him._

"_Darling that is not nice!" Hhe said. _

"_How comeWhy not? If I don't tease you, you will just stay right there and never come down for the ball, and this way I may be able to tease you enough to get up!" She smiled at him, and ended her speech with a wink._

_Rupert rose to his feet and followed her out of the suite._

_The Ball went well, until suddenly all the lights went out, a few started screaming, then Rupert walked over to the music and turned to the guests._

"_Everybody just stay calm, we've lost all power at the moment, but as long as no one steals the candles, we will still be warm and have light. Please stay and enjoy yourself. Thank you." He stepped back down and walked over to Clarisse._

"_Darling I will go see if the phone is also dead. I, if not, I will put a call through to my sister!" He kissed her cheek._

"_Alright. I'll keep the candles lit!" Sshe laughed._

_Then, Iin the dimmed light, Santa suddenly appeared., aAll the children went to him. Clarisse was smiling and satisfied in her chair.  
_

"_Oh I wish he willould do this again, when Amelia will be told who she really is. And I hope she will still like Santa when we get to that!" Clarisse smiled and looked towards her sons who wasere sitting at the other end of the ball room._

_Santa handed out all the presents and waved to the children, and Clarisse followed him out of the ball room, the doormen closed the doors after her._

"_You are getting more and more creative, darling! I can't wait to see what you will do next year!" she said teasingly and gave him a quick kiss and went back to the ball room. Rupert returned a good ten minutes later._

"_My sister says merry Christmas, and she is looking forward to France in February!" Hhe said as he kissed her cheek and took his seat besides hers._

"_Oh….uhm……thank you, love, but did the phone work?" Sshe questioned with a smile._

"_Yes!" Hhe replied._

"Well, the important thing was that he kept the Santa figure coming even though both Pierre and Phillip waseren't children anymore. We never get too old for a visit from Santa Claus!" Clarisse looked at Joseph who was looking down at his shoes.

"And he kept dressing up like Santa?" Joseph asked.

"Oh yes, he kept the tradition, and I was hoping that Phillip would do it as well when his time wascame, but when Rupert died, we agreed upon no Santa Claus., but I washad been hoping for Phillip as Santa this year, but then I lost him as well. And Pierre doesn't have an interest in the tradition. Come to think of it, neither did Phillip or Rupert." She Her voice trailed off.

"Clarisse, I have a confession!" he said softly.

"Yes?" Clarisse tilted her head in question.

"I…..uhm……I was….uhm, am. I am the…..You see…..!" hHe couldn't get his mind and mouth to work together.

"Joseph, you are not making much sense!" she giggled.

"What I'm trying to say is…..His Majesty didn't want to ruin the perfect image of Christmas that you had created for your children, by making a bad Santa, so he wanted to just let Santa "die" with his father. But I couldn't stand to see you and your boys so anxiously awaiting the visit from Santa Claus. , so wWhen I saw King Rupert leave the ball room, I hurried downstairs and found the old Santa costume and hurried upstairs and grabbed the bag of presents from the maids that was who were about to walk in and hand them out. But I never expected to get a present back, from doing this. And I couldn't just walk up to you and tell you that it was I who was Santa, because you seemed so happy with the thought of it being your husband."

"So you took advantage of my ignorance?" she said.

"Not deliberately! I promise, Clarisse. But I couldn't tell you, it was impossible!" Joseph sat down in front of her.

"You've made my marriage into a lie, by revealing this!" Sshe harshly stated.

"Oh Clarisse, I never meant for it to turn out like this. Never. iIf I had known, I would never had done it in the first place!" He again looked downwards, feeling guilty. But he snapped his head up when he heard her laugh.

"Joseph dear, I knew it was you., nNot for the first many years, but when Pierre and Phillip saw me kissing 'Santa', I was almost certain that it wasn't Rupert and you where the only other option,. but I didn't come to that conclusion until about ten years ago." Sshe shared as she held his head in her hands.

"YOU KNEW!" he yelled.

"I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last….." Her singing was interrupted by his lips crashing upon hers.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday.


End file.
